Many of the real headline-grabbers in Germany's Bundesliga are Africa's top names.

Here BBC Sport Online looks at some of those very rarely off the back pages:

Sammy Kuffour: What is there left to say about Bayern Munich's ever-controversial Ghanaian, Sammy Kuffour?

The BBC African Footballer of the Year - in terms of trophies won the most successful African in Europe - last season fully established himself at the heart of his club's back four, having struggled with inconsistent form over the last few years.

He is now looking every bit the equal of that talent that surrounds him in Bayern's defence - including Bixente Lizarazu, Robert Kovac and officially the best player at this year's World Cup, goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

From that base, Kuffour's side - now with the additions of Ze Roberto, Michael Ballack and Sebastian Diesler - could well be on the way to putting yet more medals round the neck of one of Africa's hottest talents.

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Sunday Oliseh: Once one of Africa's very best exports, former Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh now struggles to get near the team bus - let alone the pitch - for his club Borussia Dortmund.

Only 10 Bundesliga starts since his transfer from Juventus in May 2000 have seen Oliseh frequently linked with moves away from the Westfalenstadion.

The latest of these mooted deals was to Spanish side Real Betis, but that was scuppered when Dortmund demanded too much money.

That more or less completed a miserable season for Oliseh, who was dropped by Nigeria - then retired from international football anyway aged just 28 - and started in both legs of Dortmund's Uefa Cup semi-final victory over AC Milan, but was again dropped for the final itself.

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Victor Agali: Schalke's Nigerian winger was another of those who retired from international football last season to concentrate on his club career.

He was the centrepiece of an amazing German Cup final against Bayer Leverkusen, in which he scored once, set up another, and then got sent off in extra time.

Schalke eventually won 4-2, condemning Leverkusen to the second of three narrow, painful defeats in major competitions.

Agali will now miss the first two matches of Schalke's campaign to defend the trophy.

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Raymond Kalla: Bochum are hoping that the signing of giant Cameroonian Kalla will be the purchase that keeps them in the Bundesliga's top division.

Kalla was recommended to Bochum by Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer, and was subsequently signed from Spanish club Extremadura on a three-year contract.

Bochum used to be a club that always avoided the drop at the last minute, but recently they have begun to yo-yo around much more.

But a successful campaign to stay up depends on a solid defence, and there is no-one more solid than the reinforced concrete wall that is Raymond Kalla.

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Charles Akonnor: Wolfsburg's Ghanaian midfielder is one of the favourite faces around the Volkswagen Arena.

And unlike at international level, where his relationship with Black Stars coach Fred Osam Duodu is little short of nuclear, he has a good rapport with Wolfsburg's manager Wolfgang Wolf.

However, Wolfsburg - who finished a very respectable 10th in the league last time around - have a number of promising youngsters looking to steal into the side, including Tobias Rau and Sven Muller, both very capable of challenging Akonnor for his place.